Lead vs Jacketed bullets

cdncowboy

cdncowboy

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
80   0   0
I'm starting to use lead bullets instead of jacketed and there is deffinitely a certain amount of lead fouling in the cylinder (revolver) and barrel. I have always used jacketed bullets in the past so not use to this. I realize that lead is easier on the rifling but if it requires a great deal of cleaning/scouring to remove doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose?

With the amount of scrubbing necessary to remove lead from the rifling does using jacketed bullets really wear the barrel that much more?
 
Lewis Lead Remover is your friend. Plus, pounding them out at jacketed velocities will increase the amount of lead in the bore. No need to shoot em that fast.
 
Last edited:
redryder said:
Lewis Lead Remover is your friend. Plus, pounding them out at jacketed velocities will increase the amount of lead in the bore. No need to shoot em that fast.
Click to expand...

Sure, but I didn't buy a 44 magnum to shoot sub-velocity loads otherwise I would shoot my .40 S&W ;)

My question is: with the amount of scrubbing necessary to remove lead from the rifling does using jacketed bullets really wear the barrel that much more?
 
I don't think most shooters can wear out a barrel in their lifetime, by shooting lead/scrubbing, or by shooting jacketed bullets.

Just shoot whatever type of bullet makes your heart jump for joy when you press the trigger.

Life is too short to be worrying about these little things.:D
 
The trick with lead bullets in magnum revolvers is in the details to reduce the leading to minimize the cleaning. IT also depends on the dimensions of the cylinder throats and the forceing cone in the barrel and the barrel dimensions themselves. the throat diameter should be slightly larger than the groove diameter of the barrel--they often are not though. The bullets should be sized to a few thousands over the bore diameter and that should produce a tight fit in the cylinder throats--this may or may not be the actual case. In most cases if you have a properly sized hard cast bullet that fis snugly in the cylinder throats and is not too much undersize for the groove diameter of the barrel you will get minimal leading in full power loads. Bullets must be properly lubed with a good quality lube.

Gas-check bullets pretty much eliminate most leading issues. Belvel base bullets often produce more leading. undersize hard cast bullets usually lead badly because of gas cutting on the sides of the bullets. Bullets that are too soft for the velocity you are shooting at will cause leading throughout the bore (usually). hard cast bullets driven at too slow a velocity will usually cause leading in the first inch or so of the barrel--this used to be a real problem with .38 special wadcutters that were hard cast instead of being swaged or cast from a softer alloy--in a .38 special you couldn't drive them fast enough to eliminate the barrel leading.

Try going to one of the cast bullet sites and also try and get ahold of some of the NRA articles by Harris regarding cast bullets.

fwiw, 44Bore.
 
cdncowboy said:
Sure, but I didn't buy a 44 magnum to shoot sub-velocity loads otherwise I would shoot my .40 S&W ;)

My question is: with the amount of scrubbing necessary to remove lead from the rifling does using jacketed bullets really wear the barrel that much more?
Click to expand...

There is no reason for you to experience leading shooting lead bullets in your revolver. Do you cast your own or buy commercial bullets?

If you do experience lead fouling wrap Chor Boy 100% copper srands around a cleaning brush and the lead will be removed quickly without much effort. The Lewis lead remover also works well.

I have run .44 mag bullets up to 1475 FPS out of my rifle with no leading.

Check your cylinder throats. If you have a Ruger make sure each cylinder throat is no less than .429". Some Rugers have very tight cylinder throats. Resizing your lead bullets as they go through to tight of throats will cause leading quickly.

Take Care

Bob
 
Lead bullets can indeed be pushed to very respectable velocities without leading the bore.
If, ... everything is done just right.

Cyl. throat dia. vs. groove dia. vs. bullet dia., alloy characteristics, lube, powder choice and charge, crimp ... all must be compatible to shoot lead fast and accurate.
A challenge to master ... requiring some knowledge, experimentation, and dogged perseverence too.

X2, on the Choir Boy copper pads. Strips the lead out easy.

Sage advice, from Canuck & 44Bore.:)
 
redryder said:
You didn't say it was a .44 mag. Did you miss the part about the Lewis Lead Remover.
Click to expand...

Nope. Lewis Lead Remover is still copper applying pressure to the rifling via a mandrel so, I agree, works well but still is friction on the rifling and so "scrubbing" as I mentioned earlier. I wasn't asking "what removes lead fouling".

I appreciate the input, regardless.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I think it`s too much of a pain in the a$$ to get every variable bang on so there is little fouling... and even then, there would still be some. By the time I take into consideration the scouring (by Lewis LR or other means) of the cylinder and barrel, the contamination of the air I breath when shooting indoors, the contamination on my fingers and potentially ingest the stuff... I think I`ll take easyrider`s advice and go back to jacketed bullets.

Now I`m pi$$ed that I just spent $180 + shipping ordering 1000 bullets I`ll now never use.
 
cdncowboy said:
With the amount of scrubbing necessary to remove lead from the rifling does using jacketed bullets really wear the barrel that much more?
Click to expand...

To address this ^ question cdncowboy.

No and no. (my opinion;))

Many of us antique revolver shooters, we who are so very very anal about any 'wear' whatsoever, strip the lead from our precious bores ... regularly ... with copper scouring pad strands wrapped around a brush (me?, a nylon brush with rolled, not sheared, brass wire tip).
Nothing whatsoever happens to the bore's surface. The old staining or patina is not affected. No wear from the soft lead bullets themselves, nor the leading removal process.

Jacketed bullets are much softer than barrel steel as well.
No doubt, few of us could ever wear out a handgun's bore just by shooting it, and then properly cleaning it.

Update: Op has concluded, while this was being penned.
All good OP, you'll be having fun no matter what those projectiles are made of. Flog lead on the EE.;)
 
How hard is the lead??Can you gouge it with your thumb nail if so it is too soft. I am casting for .45 Colt and .45ACP and add tin to the soft lead to harden it up...so far no leading in the bores. The velocity range is about 700-950 FPS... much less than .44 Magnum.
What size are the bullets that you have, I might be able to use them in one of my black powder guns???
 
cdncowboy said:
Thanks for the info everyone. I think it`s too much of a pain in the a$$ to get every variable bang on so there is little fouling... and even then, there would still be some. By the time I take into consideration the scouring (by Lewis LR or other means) of the cylinder and barrel, the contamination of the air I breath when shooting indoors, the contamination on my fingers and potentially ingest the stuff... I think I`ll take easyrider`s advice and go back to jacketed bullets.

Now I`m pi$$ed that I just spent $180 + shipping ordering 1000 bullets I`ll now never use.
Click to expand...

I've shot thousands of lead bullets out of handguns and rifles. Your really throwing in the towel too soon. I've rarely had leading but another even easier way to remove it is to simply shoot a jacketed round or two if you see any building up. You could also switch to the heaviest lead bullets you can find. Slower velocities and less likely to lead while still delivering the punch you desire.
 
.44bore outlined the issues quite well. There is simply no reason at all why you can't shoot cast bullets. But you need to do some more playing around to find the lead alloy that works for your needs.

But even when the bullets are just the right size and just the right alloy the lube vaporizing at the moment of firing will still produce a lot of crud around the gun and in your face when shooting indoors. And at least a small portion of that cloud of noxious vapours is some lead. So for indoor I simply don't shoot cast lead anymore for this reason from either revolvers or semi autos other than .22.
 
The problem with shooting indoors lies with the primers not the type of bullet you are using. Most primers have lead based compounds which can proove quite dangerous if breathed in any great amounts. Just one reason why lead free ammo was developed - read lead free primers.

As to the OP, no reason to give up so soon. My comments regarding your cylinder throats applies to jacketed/plated rounds as well. Tight cylinder throats will effect accuracy using jacked/plated bullets as well as playing hell with leading when you use lead bullets.

Take
care.

Bob
 
Actually most currently marketed primers are "lead-free". Yor biggest chance of inhaling lead vapor is if you rush to pickup your ejected brass. Leaving it for 10 - 15minutes drops the risk to nil.

Dr. Jim
 
I shoot nothing but cast in my .44 ATC gun, I load them hot, and I don't have issues with leading.
But . . .
I shoot hard cast, gas checked bullets, and I choose a heavy for caliber 325 gr WFNs which cannot be reasonably driven beyond 1200 fps from a 5" barrel.
 
Best way to remove lead fouling is mercury. Let it sit in there for a bit and then scrub with a wire brush. The mercury softens the lead into a mush and makes it supper easy to brush out
 
Boomer said:
I shoot nothing but cast in my .44 ATC gun, I load them hot, and I don't have issues with leading.
But . . .
I shoot hard cast, gas checked bullets, and I choose a heavy for caliber 325 gr WFNs which cannot be reasonably driven beyond 1200 fps from a 5" barrel.
Click to expand...


Must feel pretty good with that steamy .44 holstered, eh Boomer?.
You have all your ducks in a row mister.
Learned a lot from your posts.

:cheers:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom